Service tray



June 1934. w. H. BREIDING ET AL 1,964,500

SERVICE TRAY Filed May 1933 I N VE NTORS. WFILTER H. BREID/NG.

ATTORNE Patented June 26, 1934 SERVICE TRAY Walter H. Breiding and Cora Breiding, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 2, 1933, Serial No. 668,977

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in serving trays.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved tray for serving beverages and foods in automobiles, etc.

Another object of our invention is to provide a serving tray adapted for use on the inside of automobiles, etc, and which may be readily used in closed cars when the windows thereof are closed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a serving tray as described comprising supporting brackets and a table portion and including means to vary the angle of the table portion in relation to the supporting brackets.

Other objects and the advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing my improved serving tray.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the device at the center of one of the supporting brackets.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of one of the supporting brackets and a fragmentary portion of the table portion.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view on a reduced scale showing the supporting brackets folded below the table portion.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters we have indicated our improved serving tray generally at 10. As shown the serving tray cornprises a table portion indicated generally at 12 and a pair of supporting brackets each indicated generally at 13. The table portion 12 is shown as made of sheet metal and includes a plane polygonally shaped portion 14 having at opposite sides thereof downwardly extending annular bearing portions 15 which preferably extend the full length of the table portion. Extending parallel with and along the center of each bearing portion 15, we preferably provide upwardly extending crimped rib 16 which forms a side rail for the table. Adjacent each end of the plane portion 14, we preferably provide an upwardly and inwardly rolled bead 17 which forms end rails for the table.

Positioned in each of the bearing portions 15, we provide a metal rod 18 which extends from adjacent the front end of the table to a distance beyond the rear end thereof. Intermediate the length of the rod 18, we provide a recess 19 therearound and in the table we provide a coacting slot 20. When assembling the device an annular spring member 21 is positioned in the slot 19 of the rod and compressed to a diameter whereby it will readily go in the bearing portion 15. The rod and spring member 21 are then moved longitudinally in the bearing portion 15 until the spring member reaches the table slot whereupon the spring memberexpands and becomes partly positioned in the rod recess 19 $0 and partly in the table slot 29 thus preventing longitudinal movement of the rod and allowing free rotary movement thereof in the bearing portion 15.

As shown the brackets 13 are made of metal which is preferably die cast and each include an elongated body portion 22 having adjacent one end a substantially right angularly projecting arm 23 which adjacent its outer end includes a substantially right angular lip 24 which extends towards the opposite end of the body. The arm 23 and the lip 24 are preferably encased in a cover member 25 which may be made of leather, rubber, felt, etc. Adjacent the end opposite the arm 23 the body 22 includes a bearing portion 26 which extends outwardly from the body in a direction opposite to that of the arm 23. As shown the bearing portion 26 is recessed as at 27 with the opening opposite the arm end of the body. Adjacent the outer end of the bearing portion 26 the wall of the recess 27 is omitted as at 28 to form a clearance aperture. The body 22 includes a longitudinally extending aperture 29 which opens into the recess 27 and adjacent the opposite end includes a threaded portion as indicated at 30.

Mounted on the body 22, we provide a bolt member 31 which includes a stem portion 32 positioned in the aperture 29, a threaded portion 33 adapted to engage the threads of the body and an enlarged thumb screw head 34.

Adjacent the end opposite the arm 23 the body 22 includes a lug member 35 which extends outwardly therefrom in the same direction as the arm 23 but is of less length. Mounted on the lug member 35, we provide a semi-resilient pad member 36 which may be made of any suitable material such as rubber.

The projecting ends of the rods 18 are positioned one in the recess 2'7 of each of the bracket members 13 and are each pivotally secured adjacent the outer end of the bearing portion 26 as by a rivet 3'7. The length of each of the rods 18 to the outer end thereof is such that when the bracket member 13 is in the position relative to the table portion 12, shown in Fig. 2, the rod 18 extends across the bracket aperture 22 in the longitudinal path of movement of the stem 32. The bottom of the bearing portion 26 is apertured to permit the end of the rod 18 to rotate on the pivot 37 downwards, as shown in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the brackets 13 may be moved in relation to the table portion 12 by rotating the rods 18 and by swinging the brackets about their pivotal point 37 on the rods 18.

When using the serving tray 10 in combination with the door of an enclosed automobile such as indicated at 38 in Fig. 2 the arms 23 of the brackets 13 are positioned on the face of the lower sill of the window with the lips 24 positioned in the window glass groove 39 between the inner side thereof and the inside of the window glass 40, there being sufficient space due to the fact that the groove 39 is of greater width than the thickness of the glass 40 to accommodate the glass packing strip 41. When the brackets 13 are thus positioned on the door 38 the pad members 36 of the brackets engage the inner face of the door as shown in Fig. 2. While the operator is placing the serving tray in position on the car door the table portion of the device may be swung upwardly about the pivots 37 as indicated by the broken line position in Fig. 2. After positioning the device on the car door, the operator swings the table portion 12 downward until the ends of the rods 18 engage the lower ends of the stems 32 as shown in Fig. 2. If the car door slants, the operator turns the bolts members 31 to cause the stems 32 to move either upward or downward, depending on the inclination of the door, to swing the rods 18 on their pivots 37 to thereby adjust the table portion 12 of the device to an even horizontal position.

When storing the serving tray when not in use the operator preferably swings the brackets 13 toward each other by rotating the rods 18 and then swings the brackets about their pivot points 37 towards the table portion 12 which disposes the brackets 13 below the table portion 12, as shown in Fig. 5. Thus a plurality of the serving trays may be conveniently stacked one upon the other.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that we have provided a novel serving tray which is simple in construction and highly efficient in use.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a serving tray, a table portion, said table portion including a rod rotatably mounted at each side thereof, said rods projecting from one end of said table portion, a bracket member pivoted to each of said rods, each of said brackets including a body portion having an arm adjacent one end thereof extending therefrom at substantially right angles, said arm including a lip portion projecting therefrom at substantially right angles towards the opposite end of said body, and means on said brackets engaging the free end of the projecting portions of said rods to limit the movement of the table portion.

2. In a serving tray, a table portion, said table portion including bearing portions adjacent opposite sides thereof, a rod rotatably positioned in each of said bearing portions, means to prevent longitudinal movement of said rods, said rods projecting from one end of said table portion, a bracket member associated with each of said rods, each of said brackets including a body portion having an arm adjacent one end thereof extending therefrom at substantially right angles, said arm including a lip portion projecting therefrom at substantially right angles towards the opposite end of said body, said bracket body including a recess adjacent the end opposite said arm, said recess opening facing away from said arm, said body having an aperture communicating with said recess and opening away from said arm, a stem rotatably mounted in said body, coacting means on said stem and said body to move said stem longitudinally and means to rotate said stem, said projecting end of said rods being positioned one in each of said recesses in the longitudinal path of movement of said stem.

3. In a serving tray, a table portion, said table portion including bearing portions adjacent opposite sides thereof, a rod rotatably positioned in each of said bearing portions, means to prevent longitudinal movement of said rods, said rods projecting from one end of said table portion, a bracket member associated with each of said rods, each of said brackets including a body portion having an arm adjacent one end thereof extending therefrom at substantially right angles, said arm including a lip portion projecting therefrom at substantially right angles towards the opposite end of said body, said arm and said lip having a covering of soft material thereon, said bracket body including a recess adjacent the end opposite said arm, said recess opening facing away from said arm, said body having an aperture communicating with said recess and opening away from said arm, a stern rotatably mounted in said body, co-acting means on said stem and said body to move said stem longitudinally and means to rotate said stem, said projecting end of said rods being positioned one in each of said recesses, said rods being pivotally secured to their associated brackets and when in one position relative to said brackets being in the longitudinal path of movement of said stems.

4. In a serving tray, a table portion, a pair of spaced brackets, said brackets including means to suspend said brackets from a support, a pair of spaced members rotatably mounted on said table portion, each of said brackets being pivotally motuited on one of said members adjacent the end thereof opposite said suspending means, and a threaded member on each of said brackets to engage said members remote from the pivotal mounting and to adjustably restrict movement of said members in one direction about said pivotal points.

WALTER H. BREIDING. CORA BREIDING. 

